Saturday, October 9, 2010

Fall, Glorious Fall!

What a grand fall day! One of those really perfect ones where it is sunny and warmish, the trees are bright, the sky is a deep blue and you feel quite wonderfully alive.

We had a wonderful Indian meal last night, but there is a slight problem - lots of leftovers - I got a little carried away! Guess we'll have to have more people over to eat them.

Aura Teas does it again! http://www.aurateas.com/ Today's offering is their Organic Chamong Black Tea FTGFOP1, which hails from Chamong, Rungbang Valley, India, which is in Darjeeling, in the North North West part of India, east of Delhi. The altitude there is from 3,500 to almost 7,000 feet. All those letters after the name are clues to what you are getting , teawise. In this case, Finest Tippy Golden Flowery OrangePekoe . The one may refer to either the first picking or best grade.

This is a tea that dry is almost too good smelling and looking to brew. The small twisted leaves are a mix of shades of brown and tan with some silvery gray to spark it. The smell is wonderful - it reminds me of the heavy aroma of a green plant I can't remember the name of, with a heady mix of dark chocolate. Another sniff is chocolate with the aroma of forest floor. I brewed it the standard 1 teaspoon, 8 0z, three minutes and while it was brewing, it smelled woody with hints of jasmine and chocolate. It is a very smooth tea with a full body. There are indeed wood tones, with chocolate and floral. One of the best Darjeelings I've had in a while.

If you like to can peaches and you like ginger, can them with slices of ginger or candied ginger - about 5-6 per quart. If you get yours at the grocery store, pour off the juice and boil it up with the ginger, add the peaches and simmer for about a minute. Very tasty. They make a nice filling for a plain cake, perhaps with a few drops of almond flavoring.

About Me

I've been reading a lot of really good blogs on tea but wanted to cover less fruity teas and since I've been a timid tea-taster, I wanted to put forth my two cups worth on more middle of the road tea. However, as I go along, I find my horizons broadening. Hooray!